Loading apparatus.



F. P CORBiN.

LOADING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILEDMYY a. 1918.

Patented D0 31, 191%).

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r. F. 00mm LOADING APPARATUS. APPLICATWH FILED MAYG. 1918.

Patented DQC. 31, 1918.

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, IILU F. P CORBIN LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FIIE'D MAY5v 1918 mvawmw.

TGRNE F. P. CORBIN.

LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. I918.

Patented Dec. 31, 19%.

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ATTORNEY \NVENTOR HTTORNEV.

luteutml 1M: 31, 1018.

h SMUH-KHEH 5 LOADING ffRATUS.

APPUCATION FILED MAY @1918.

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LOADING .AEPAEATUS.

1 ,esase'a T0 all whom 2'5 may concern Be it known that I, FRANK. P. CORBIN, a citizen of the United States of Ainericzu'and resident of Morgantown, county of Monongalia', and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and usetul In'iprovements in Loading Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

lh-isinvcntion relates broadly to loading apparatus, and more specifically to a powerdriveir-shovel and conveyer for loading coal and similar materials in cars.

The chiefobjeet of the invention is to provide an eliicient automatic machine whereby coal and like materials may be rapidly loaded upon cars for transportation.

A further object is to provide an apparatus ofthe character mentioned which is pccially adapted for use in mines and other placeswhere vertieal space orlumd-room is limited, and which may be readily moved or shifted roni place to place as occasion re quires "or'as the work progresses.

lVith these and other objects in View, the

invention resides in the features of construction. arrangement of parts and combinations-0f: elements which will hereinafter be specifically described, reference being had to theaccompanyinp; drawings, in which Figu'res'l and l together illustrate a side elevationof the invention;

FigLQ is a cross section of the binstaken 0n line 2,2 l ig. 1, with the seraper 'occie pyinggits retract-ed position:

, Fig dis a cross section of the shovel on line .3-3, Fig. 1;

.Figs} and l? together illustrate a top planvieur oft-he invention:

Fi.g.-5 is an'enlaril'ed detail View, partly in section anilpartly'in top plan,illustrating a portioniof the scraper mechanism;

Fig. 56 is an enlarged longitudmal section of one of the, clutches employed for accomplishing elevation of the scraper;

, Fig, 7 isan enlarged section illustrating the shiftable. gearing employed in the truck drive Fig. 8 is a central longitudinal section of the truck and truck-carried mechanisms;

Fig. 9ii's' a horizontal section taken substantially' on line 99, Fig. l; and

Fig, 10 is a section on line l010, Fig. 9.

Referring to said drai vings, in wh ch like designating characters distinguish like parts throughout the several viewsl I 1 indicatesa truck frame mounted upon Specification of Letters Patent.

upright shaft Patented Dec. 311,:

Application filed May a, 1918. set-m1 No, 232,754.

wheels 2 adapted to travel upon the tracle rails commonly employed in niines. Said frame has an upright circular flange 1*, and disposed within the embrace of said flange is a circular flange 3} carried on the under side of a rotary platform 3 which serves both as a support for the main Working parts of the mechanism and as a turn-table Whereon the said working parts may be shifted laterally to operate at an angle to the trackWay upon which the truck is carried. Rigidly carried by the frame 1 underneath the platform 3 and inclosed by the flange 3 of the latter is a largehorizontally disposed gear- Wheel 4 having' in mesh therewith a pinion 5 which is driven in a manner which will hereinafter be described for imparting rotary movement to said platform. a

Journaled in suitable bearings, as 6, provided adjacent to the rear end of the platform 3 is a transversely disposed main drive-shaft 7 which is driven through interengaged bevel gears 8 and 9 respectively carried by said shaft 7 and the power-shaft 10 of an electric motor 11 mounted at a suitable point on said platform. Said drive-shaft 7 carries thereon at a point intermediate its tit? ends a Worm 12 in mesh With a Worm gear 13 carried upon the rear end of a propeller shaft 14 which is mounted in suitable bearings, as 15. 16 and 17. Keyed upon and shiftaole along said propeller shaft between the bearings 16 and 17 is a sleeve 18 which has fixed thereon two oppositely facing hovel gears 19 and 20. Disposed between and below said gears 19 and 20 so as to he engaged by either thereof, as desired, is a bevel gear 21 which is carried by the upper end of an 22 journaled in a vertical sleeve bearing 23' mounted in the platform 3 and in the large gear \vheel at the exact center of the latter. The lower end of said vertical shaft 22 protrudes from said bearing 23 and carries thereon a betel-gear 24 in mesh with a similar gear 25 fixed on the front end of a suitably journaled horizontal shaft 26 which carries upon its rear end a bevel-gear 27 in mesh with a similar gear 28 carried by the rear axle 29 of the truck. As is obvious, the truck is propelled through the gearing just described,-the direction of travel being dependent uponwhether the gear 19 or the gear 20 is shifted into mesh with the g r 21 Qhe propeller shaft 14lalso has keyed thereon at a point between the bearings 15 and 16 a shiftable sleeve 30 which has fixed thereon two oppositely facing bevel gears 31 and Located between and below said gears 31 and so as to be engaged by either thereof, as desired, is a bevel gear 33 which is carrier by a vertical shaft 34 that is suitably mounted in the platform 3. Said shaft 34- carries a pinion 35 in mesh with a spur-gear 36 carried by a vertical shaft 37 which extends through and journaled in said platform at a suitable point. Fixed upon the lower end of said shaft 37 is the pinion 5 hereinbefore mentioned, the same being in mesh with the large gear wheel 4. When it is desired to impart rotary movement to the platform for the purpose of presenting-the loading mechanism, to be hereinafter described, at an angle to the traclzway upon which the truck is movable, one or the other of the bevel gears 31 and 32, according to the direction in which said platform is to be rotated, is shifted into operative relation to the gear 33.

as is obvious, the gears 31 and are disposed in neutral position when the truck is being propelled forward or back through the intern'iediacy of the shaft 14 and one or the other of the gears 19 and 20. Likewise said gears 19 and 20 occupy neutral positions when the platform is being rotated in the manner hereinbefore described. When the machine is being operated for loading purposes, both sets of sleeve-can ried shiftable gears 19 and 20, and 31 and 32, are disposed in neutral positions. Since any suitable ordinary means may obviously be employed for effecting shifting movement of said sleevc-carried shiftable gears, I have not considered it necessary to show in the drawings any specific shifting means.

The front end of the platform 3 extends forward a suitable distance in advance of the corresponding end of the truck frame 1 and has pivotally attached thereto in a suitable n'ianner, as by trunnions 38, the rear end of the bottom portion of a bin which is herein designated generally by the numeral 39. Said bin extends forward from said platform and is mounted at its front end upon suitable rollers or whee s, as 40. Said bin, which is open at both ends, is of snlmtantially rectangular form and comprises a bottom 11 and opposite upright side walls 42.

.lournaled in suitable bearings located on the platform 3 slightly rearward of the pivoted end of the bin 39 is a transverse shaft 4% having fixed thereon adjacent to its opposite ends two spur gears -15. Over-lying and in mesh with each of said gears are the teeth of a longitmlinally disposed rackbar 40, said rack-bars being extended through guidcways l-T provided therefor at the angles between the bottom 41 and the side walls 452 of the bin 39. Said rack-bars are pivotally connected at their front ends to the rear end of a shovel 18 which is adapted to be advanced into the material to be loaded and to be thence retracted with its load to a position within the bin 39, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 1. Said rack-bars 46 are maintained in seated meshing relation to said gears 45 during their movement for advancing and retracting the shovel by means of suitable overlying rollers 4:9 mounted upon suitably supported stubshafts 50.

Said rack-bars 46 are advanced and retracted for projecting and withdrawing the shovel with respect to the material to be handled by rotating the shaft 14 forward and back respectively. Said shaft is propelled by the motor 11 through gearing which includes a worm 51 on one end of the main drive shaft 7. A worm gear 52 in mesh with said worm 51 is fixed upon a horizontal shaft 53 which is journaled in bearings 54 carried by the platform '3 and which has keyed thereon a shiftable sleeve 55 carrying two oppositely facing bevel gears 56 and 57. Disposed between said gears 56 and 57 so to be engaged by either thereof, according as it is desired to rotate the shaft 4 1 forward or back, is a bevel gear 58 fixed upon the adjacent end of said shaft 44.

Disposed within the bin 39 is a shovelscraper 59 Which is adapted to be operated for removing from he shovel 48 the material carried thereby hen the same occupies its withdrawn bin-inclosed position. Said scraper consists of a heavy upright plate which has channels or guideways' 60 provided in its opposite lateral edges in which are received upright guide tongues 61 carried upon the inner faces of plate-like carriers (32 which are mounted to travel along the opposite sides 42 of the bin adjacent to the tops of said sides. Said traveling car riers are supported at their opposite ends upon two transversely disposed shafts 63 which extend loosely therethrough and which have fixed upon each of their opposite ends spur gears 64.. Said gears are disposed in overlying meshing relation to and are supported by two opposite longitudinally extending rack-bars 65 which are stationarily supported by the bin sides 42, as is most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. Said rack-bars 65 are disposed within outset pockets 66 formed in said side-walls 42 adjacent to their upper edges and extending from one end to the other thereof.

The real-most of the gear-carried shafts 63 has fixed thereon a drum 67 about which is wound a cable (58 having its opposite ends wound. respectively, upon a large drum (i9 and a relatively snraller drum 70 both of which are fixed upon a transverse shaft 71 journaled upon the forward end of a suitmesses able supporting frame 72 which is mounted upon the platform 3. Said shaft 71 carries npon one end thereof a bevel gear 73 which ""76 so that either thereof, according to the direction of rotation desired to be imparted to the drums G9 and 70, maybe shifted into operative relation to said gear 73. Said sleeve 76 is carried by a shaft 77 which is journaled in suitably located bearings provided therefor and which carries upon its rear end a worm gear 78 in mesh with the worm 51 on the drive-shaft 7. As is obvious, when the shovel occupies its withdrawn position within the bin 39,:as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 1, and when the scraper 59 occupies its advanced lowered position, rearward rotation imparted to the shaft 71 acts through the drums and cable to draw said scraper rearward. In its rearward movement said scraper draws back the material contained by the shovel and deposits the same upon an endless traveling conveyer 79 which 18 disposed in an inclined position over the platform 3, as is most clearlyshown in Figs. 1, 4 and 8. In said rearward movement said scraper and the parts by which it is sustained travel upon the rack-bars 65.

Carried uponthe extreme upper edges of the side-walls -12 of the bin and extending rearward an appropriate distance from the front end of the latter, are longitudinally extending rack-bars 80 upon which travel gears 81 fixed upon the opposite ends of a transverse shaft 82 which is journaled in the carriers 62.

Rotatably mounted upon said shaft 82 at points located inward somewhat from the inner faces of said carriers 62 are two gear 'Wheels 83 which are disposed in meshing relation with vertical rack-bars 84t'fixed on the front face of "the scraper 59. Each of said gears 83 is disposed with its inner face seated against a fixed collar 85 and carries on its outer face onemember 86 of a ratchetfaced dental clutch the opposite member 87 of which is splined and longitudinally movable upon said shaft 82. A spiral spring I 88 which is interposed between said clutch member 87 and the adjacent carrier 62 serves to yieldingly hold said member in operative relation to its fixed companion member 86.

When the carriers 62 are drawn rearward for actuating the scraper 59 to dislodge material from the shovel, as hereinbefore de scribed, the shaft 82 borne by said carriers is rotated rearward through the engagement of its gears" 81, with the stationary rack-bars 80; Such rearward rotation of said shaft is accomplished without rotation of the 'gears 83 carried thcreby,due to the yielding the gears 83 are actuated to rotate forward and, through their engagement with the rack-bars 8-l, to elevate the scraper 59 so that, when it reaches the front end-of the bin 39, it occupies the elevated dotted line position indicated in Fig. 1. In such elevated positio it presents no obstruction to the contents of the loaded shovel when the latter is" drawn back into said bin. lVhen said shovelassumes its-final withdrawn position, the clutch members 87 may be shifted outward from engagement with their companion members 86 by any suitable means, whereupon said scraper will drop-by. gravity into scraping position on the front edge of the shovel.

The shovel is open at its rear end so that no obstruction is presented to withdrawal of its contents when the scraper is drawn rearward therethro'ugh. The material so withless conveyer 79 which may be of any suitable construction or type, that herein shown for illustrative purposes being one of various forms of conveyers which might be advantageously employed. As shown, said conveyer comprises an endless apron carried by laterally disposed sprocket-chains 89 which travel upon sprocket wheels 90 and 91, the former being rotatably mounted upon a suitable portion of the front end of the platform 3 and the latter being carried by a shaft 92 journaled in bearings 93 provided on the top of the supporting frame 72 adjacentto the rear end of the latter. Said shaft 92 carries upon one of its ends a bevel gear 94 having in mesh therewith a similar gear 95 carried by the upper end of an inclined shaft 96 which has a worm gear 97 on its lower end drawn is deposited upon the inclined endoperatively engaged with aworm 98 carried by the drive-shaft 7. As is obvious, the conveyer 79 is driven from the said drive shaft through the intermediate gearing just described;

Located upon the extreme rear end of the frame 72 in position to receive thereon material carriedover the discharge end of said conveyer-79 is the front end of a second endless conveyer 99, preferably having a horizontal arrangement, the rear end of which is adapted to overhang a car into which the material is to be loaded. Said conveyer 99. is carried by suitably disposed sprocket wheels 100 and 101, the latter being carried by a:

\ said transferring means,

suitably journaled shaft 102 which also carries a sprocket wheel 103 connected by a sprocket chain 10% to a similar wheel 105 carried by the shaft 92.

While the view shown in Fig. 7 has hereinbefore been described as a section through gears 19, 20 and 21 and the sleeve 18 upon which said gears 19 and 20 are mounted, it will be understood thatthe same is as well illustrative of all of the various shiftable sleeve-mounted gearings employed throughout the machine for shaft-driving purposes.

It will be understood that some of the various gearings herein shown and described, whereby parts of the mechanism are operativelycoupled to, or associated with, the source of power, are merely illustrative, and that the same may be varied in any way which may be deemed practicable. I would also have it understood that other parts of the apparatus may be variously changed or modified in form and arrangement without departing from. the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. A loading machine comprising a platform, a shovel, means carried by said platform and connected to said shovel for advancing and retracting the latter, a traveling conveyer supported oVer said platform, a scraper whereby material may be withdrawn from said shovel and deposited upon said conveyer, means for advancing and retracting said scraper, and means actuated by advancing movement of said scraper for elevating the latter as it approaches its for ward limit of movement.

:2. A loading machine comprising a platform, a traveling conveyer located over said platform, a box-like inclosure having open ends, said inclosure having its rear end disposed in overlying relation to a part of said conveyer, a shovel, means associated with said shovel whereby it is advanced from and retracted into said inclosure through the open front end of the latter, means movable through said inclosure for transferring the contents of the retracted shovel to said conveyer, means for advancing and retracting and means actuated by advancing movement of said transferring means whereby the latter is elevated as it approaches its forward limit of movement.

3. A. loading machine comprising a plat form, a traveling conveyer located over said platform, ends, said inclosure having its rear end disposed in overlying relation to a part of said conveyer, a shovel, means associated with said shovel whereby it is advanced from and retracted into said inclosure through the open front end of the latter, a scraper carried by and movable along said inclosure, said scraper bein adapted to be drawn rear a. box-like inclosure having open ward over said shovel when the latter occupies retracted position for transferring the contents of the shovel to said conveyer, means for advancing said scraper, and means actuated by advancing movement of said scraper whereby the latter is elevated to permit a loaded shovel to pass rearward thereunder.

4-. A loadin machine comprising a platform, a traveling conveyer located over said platform, a box-like inclosure having open ends, said inclosure having its rear end disposed in overlying relation to a part of said conveyer, a shovel, means associated with said shovel whereby it is advancedfromand retracted into said inclosure through the open front end of the latter, a scraper carried by and movable along said inclosure, means for advancing and retracting said scraper, and means associated with said scraper and actuated by advancing movement thereof whereby it is elevated during its advance movement.

5. A loading machine comprising a truck frame, a platform carried by said frame,

means for imparting rotary movement to,

said platform, a conveyer superposed upon said platform, a shovel having both ends open, means carried by said platform for advancing and retracting said shovel, means movable through said shovel when the latter occupies retracted position for scraping the contents of the shovel from the latter and depositing the same upon said conveyer, means for advancing and retracting said scraping means, and means actuated by forward travel of said scraping means whereby the latter is elevated to permit the shovel to unobstructedly pass rearward thereunder when loaded. v

6. A loading machine comprising a, truck frame, a platform carried'by said frame,

means for imparting rotary movementto said platform, said platform, a shovel having both ends open, rack-bars attached to the rear end of said shovel,.means operatively engaged with said rack-bars whereby the latter are propelled for advancing and retracting said shovel, a scraper movable through said shovel for dislodging the contents of the latter and depositing the same on said conveyer, a traveling support for said scraper, and means actuated by forward travel of said support whereby said scraper is elevated.

7. A loading machine comprising a platform, a conveyer superposed on said platform, a-shovel having both ends open, means carriecLby said platform for advancing and retracting said shovel, means movable through said shovel when the latter occupies retracted position for scraping the contents ofthe shovel from the latter and depositing .the sam upon said conveyer, means for adand means eifecting rotation form,

aaeaeea vancing and retracting said scraping means, rack-bars carried by said scraping means, gears in engagement with said rack-bars, of said gears during forward movement of said scraping means whereby the rack-bars and the scraping means are elevated bodily to permit of the rearward passage thereunder of a loaded shovel. Y

8. A- loading machine domprising a platform, a conveyor superposed upon said platform, an open-ended box-like inclosure associated with the front end of said platform and having its 'rear end disposed in overhanging relation to the receiving end of said conveyer, a shovel, means for projecting said shovel forward from and withdrawing the same into said inclosure, a scraper movablethrough said inclosure whereby the contentsof the shovel may be drawn from the latter to said conveyer, supports for said scraper mounted upon and "movable along the top of said inclosure, and means intermedi ate said supports and said scraper whereby forward movement of the former produces elevating movement of the latter. t

9. A loading machine comprising a plata conveyer superposed. upon said platform, an open-ended box-like inclosure asso ciated with the front end of said platform and having itsrear end disposed in over-' hanging relation to the receiving end of said conveyer, a shovel, means f0 projecting said shovel forward from and withdrawing the same into said inclosure, trackways carried by the sides of said inclosure, carriers mounted to travel on said trackways, means for advancing and retracting said carriers along said trackways, a scraper associated with said carriers and movable therewith through said inclosure whereby the contentsof the withdrawn shovel may be scraped from the latter and deposited upon said conveyer, and means actuated by forward travel of said carriers whereby said scraper is elevated during said trave 10. A loading machine comprising a plat "of said eonveyer,

form, a conveyer superposed upon said plat:- form, an open-ended box-like inclosure associated with the front end of said platform and having its rear end disposed in overhanging relation tothe receiving end of said conveyer, a shovel means for projecting said shovel forward from and withdrawing the same into said inclosure, a scraper movable through said inclosure whereby the con tents of the withdrawn shovel may be scraped from thelatter and deposited upon said conveyer, carriers upon which said scraper is mounted, trackways for said carriers, means for-advancing andretracting said carriers along said trackways, and means actuated by advancing movement of said carriers whereby said scraper is actuated to assume elevated position at its limit of forward movement.

11. A 'loadin machine comprising a truck frame, a plat orm carried by said frame, means for imparting rotary movement to said platform, a conveyer superposed upon said platform, an open-ended box-like inclosure associated with the front end of said platform and having its rear end disposed in overhanging relation to the receiving end a shovel, means for projecting said shovel forward from and with drawing the same into said inclosure, a scraper movable through said inclosure whereby the contentsof the withdrawn shovel may be scraped from the latter and deposited upon said conveyer, means for advancing and retracting said scraper, and. means intermediate said inclosure and said scraper and actuated by advance movement of said scraper whereby the latter is carried during said advance movement to a temporary elevated position.

In testimony whereof, I my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses FRANK P. (FORBIN.

lVitnesses Gr. GILMoUIz 

